Atasha and Andres Were Clueless of Their Parents' Fame Until Last Year

When the new Jollibee commercial debuted this month, it triggered nostalgia for those who remember Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez's kids as 4-year-olds in their first ever TV commercial. That was in 2005, and Atasha and Andres today are already two years shy of adulthood (yup, they're 16!).

The warm reaction to the new TV ad is probably because the public rarely sees the twins on TV. Aga has been very vocal about shielding his kids from the showbiz limelight so that they could grow up with a regular childhood. . He was so protective that sometimes, he refused to answer questions about his kids.

"It’s really weird right now that we’re being interviewed with the cameras like this with my children there. Parang naiilang ako," the actor said during the press conference, Pep.ph reported. "When you guys ask them questions, I had to leave first 'no, kasi parang feeling ko na it’s different," Aga admitted.

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Not only were the twins shielded from the spotlight and fame of their parents, but Atasha and Andres also didn't know their parents were celebrities.

"We always try to give them a private life, so they can have a normal childhood, do the normal things, and really just play without the attention," Charlene explained. "Kaya, Aga and I shielded them so that they can experience that kind of life," she said. Showbiz was never a conversation topic at home, and Atasha and Andres never had the idea that they or their parents were famous.

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"Growing up, they never really showed it," Atasha said. "They were just like normal people. They were never like yabang or anything like that." She couldn't recall exactly when she and Andres found out her parents are showbiz royalty. But she remembered an instance when she was with her friend at the mall, and they saw a poster of her parents, and thought, "Okay."

Aga revealed Atasha and Andres just realized their parents' fame when they attended the premiere of his movie Seven Sundays last year. "Nagulat sila sa crowd sa mall. The last time they watched, they were still kids," he explained. "E, ngayon na 16 na sila, [napapansin na nila]."

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Atasha and Andress are turning 17 in November, and now that they are being "reintroduced" to the public, is it a sign that they are ready to take on showbiz? Would Aga and Charlene give them their blessing?

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At the moment, the twins are looking ahead at college. While Atasha had a taste of the craft when she was one of the cast in The Sound of Music in 2011, she says of showbiz, "As of now, still deciding. Studies first, but whatever happens, happens."

"Same goes for me," quipped Andres who has mostly focused on basketball.